"If the people do not come out, I will surrender to go to jail. I will not fight anymore," he said in a speech to supporters.

"Live or die, lose or win - we will know on Monday December 9."

The former deputy premier, facing an arrest warrant for insurrection, has pledged to rid Thailand of what he calls the "Thaksin regime", referring to former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006.

Mr Thaksin is brother of current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Her office said she had cancelled two planned trips overseas next week to Russia and to the opening ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar to monitor the unrest, which has left five people dead and more than 200 injured in Bangkok.

The protesters, a mix of royalists, middle class and other Thaksin opponents - sometimes numbering in their tens of thousands - want to suspend the country's democracy in favour of an unelected "people's council".

Birthday truce

Demonstrators and police in Bangkok observed a temporary truce from Wednesday for the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, revered by many Thais.

The king did not specifically mention the recent unrest at a formal ceremony Thursday attended by dignitaries, including the embattled premier, but he said the country "has been peaceful for a long time because everybody worked together".

"Every Thai should be aware of this and should perform their role for the benefit of the country, which is the stability and security of the country," he said in the speech broadcast on all television channels.

Mr Suthep told supporters to rest for the rest of the weekend and to take to the streets again on Monday to march on the government headquarters.

Earlier this week, the government abruptly ordered police to avoid confrontation with protesters, briefly allowing them into the police and Government House in a surprise move that sharply reduced tensions in the capital.

But demonstrators have refused to end their occupation of the finance ministry and a key government complex on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The recent protests were triggered by an amnesty bill, since abandoned by Ms Yingluck's ruling party, which opponents feared would have cleared the way for Mr Thaksin's return from self-imposed exile.

They are the biggest and deadliest street demonstrations since 2010, when dozens of people were killed in a crackdown on mass pro-Thaksin rallies in Bangkok.